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Thursday, June 7, 2012

Avoiding the Torso Twist Machine

Good morning!

Life has been quite busy over here, as usual. I’ve been working full time over the past few weeks plus trying to get myself ready for my board exams so my routine pretty much consists of exercising, working, and studying. On the weekends I’m usually either out of town or Eric is visiting (he’s coming up tomorrow night, yay!) so those are usually tied up as well. On top of all of that, Melissa’s bridal shower and bachelorette party are the weekend after my exams so I’ve been planning those and trying to get all the little details squared away. Don’t get me wrong, I love staying busy, but I’ll be happy when July gets are and things settle down a bit! My exams will be over, *hopefully* I’ll be a licensed pharmacist, and I can finally start paying off my loans!

My packed lunches have been standard (ham sandwich and Greek yogurt), but my mom has been making some pretty tasty dinners around here lately. Last night we enjoyed leftovers from Wednesday, which consisted of whole wheat pasta with veggies topped with baked salmon.

The pasta was mixed with wilted spinach, sundried tomatoes (my favorite!), mushrooms, and black olives. Normally she mixes it with some kind of homemade cream sauce, but she’s been trying to keep things low fat for me .

Fish is something that I do not eat enough of and I’m not sure why because it’s so good for you and I love it. Last week I went to a drug rep dinner at a very nice restaurant and ordered the Sea Bass – it was seriously one of the best things I have ever eaten!

After dinner I enjoyed some quality time with with my APhA study guide.

Outside on the hammock, of course!

What a fun way to spend your evening .

This morning I hit the gym and tortured my poor legs again with this leg workout. I was finally able to walk normally again and now I’m sure that I’ll wake up tomorrow waddling like a duck . It’s okay though, it’s a good hurt! The workout ends with a few ab exercises as well, and I actually had an interesting conversation with the owner of my gym about one of them. As I mentioned on Monday, one of the exercises on my routine involved the torso twist machine.

I asked him if he had one of these machines because I couldn’t find it, and he said that he did not because he hated that machine! He said that when he bought the gym in 2006 it was one of the first things he got rid of. He explained how weighted oblique exercises make your waist wider (since the muscle runs along your side and you increase the size of it by doing weighted exercises) and that this machine was one of the most pointless things you could do at the gym. He also said that the same is true for my beloved side bends *gasp!* and that he hates seeing people do those.

The torso twist machine was actually listed on this website on one of the top 5 gym machines to avoid. It states that your body was not designed to rotate that way while sitting down and that it can lead to injury. In my opinion, that’s enough of a reason to steer me away from the machine, but I’m not sure what I think about avoiding other exercises, like side bends. In my opinion, every personal trainer has something that they adamantly say you should or should not do – I once had a trainer tell me to eat six eggs everyday for breakfast and to stop running – but for someone like me who’s just trying to be fit and healthy, I don’t really think there is any exercise that is completely pointless. Ya know what I mean? I think the important thing is that we are out there moving our bodies and trying to get/stay in shape. The little details may matter for bodybuilders or someone who is training for a fitness competition, but for myself, it’s all about getting out there and staying active.

Anyways, here’s breakfast:

My latest cereal kick has been a combo of Kashi Berry Blossoms, Kashi Go Lean, and fresh fruit. So good and perfect for summer!

Off to work. Happy Thursday – it’s almost the weekend, yay!

Are there any gym machines or exercises that you avoid or were told to avoid by someone else?

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Welcome to my blog

Hello! I'm Krista, a 25 year-old pharmacist living in Traverse City, MI. Three years ago, I lost over 100 pounds with diet and exercise, but unfortunately I have gained a big chunk of it back. I'd love for you to follow me on my journey to lose the weight (AGAIN) and get healthy!

Disclaimer

I am not a registered dietition or a certified personal trainer. All of the content on this blog is about my own personal experience and what works for me. If you need help getting started with a weight loss plan, please consult your physician.